Knitting machine



Sept. 19, 1939.

` R. 1,.. BUNToN KNITTING' MACHINE Oxiginal Filed June 2l, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l WW Sept. 19, 1939. R L BUNTQN 21,173,646 I K NITTING MACHINE Original Filed June 2l, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES KNITTING MACHINE Eheubin L. Bunton, Hickory, N. C., assigner to George W. Grove, Hickory, N. C.

Original application June 21, 1937, Serial No.

Divided and this application April 15 1939, Serial No. 268,099

`4t Claims.

This invention relates generally to a machine for producing anti-rave] mock-ribbed top seamless hosiery, and more particularly to a circulai` knitting machine for this purpose.

One object is t'o provide a circular knitting machine for making mock-ribbed stockings.' Another object is to produce a circular knitting machine for making mock ribbed-top stockings from top to toe.

A further object is to improve the present circular knitting machines to adapt them to this purpose. Yet a further object is to improve a circular knitting machine to knit Ia mock ribbedtop stocking from top to toe; starting with bare needles and at the top.

A further object is to arrange the machine to knit the top with a laid-in ilrst anti-ravel course, and with the next course knitted to it and to succeeding courses.

Still another object of this invention is to provide 'a machine for knitting the first and second top courses of a mock-ribbed top hosiery withelastic yarn.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in various gures, Y

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective of a circular knitting machine, incorporating features ofl the present inventive concept.

Figure 2 is a development of part of the knitting wave and cams of a Scott and Williams revolving needle cylinder circular knitting machine, including features of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side'elevation from the right in Fig. 1 showing the mechanism for feeding and for cl and cutting an elastic yarn usedto form the first two courses of mock ribbed-top hosiery,

Figure4isadi n.. toillustratetheformation ofthetopofastockinginaccordancewiththe features of this invention.

Considering the drawingsin greater detail. .a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated and described.

In carrying out this invention, new machines will have included therein the features of this invent'ive concept and a pre-existing knitting machine will be modified by providing the needle bank with jacks arranged under alternate needles vintwosets,theiacksofolieiletbeingofaprodeterminedlengthandtbeiackscftheotherset u being of a diiferent predetermined length and arranged in alternation with the jacks of the first named set, means being also provided for raising said jacks in succession, so that the needles raised by one set of jacks will be positioned at a predetermined height to receive fed yarn in the hooks li thereof only during the rst round of knitting, and the needles raised by the other set will be positioned at a lower predetermined height to receive the yarn in the hooks thereof during the second round of knitting while casting oil the 10 yarn fed on the first round.

Thus, in the drawings a standard Scott d: Williams circular knitting machine is shown convertedto the needs of this invention. The needles I2, in the upper row or set of the needle bank i0 Il are raised by jacks i4 of a predetermined length, while needles Il in the intermediate row or set are raised'by shorterjacks I8. Jacks are not used with the remaining or lowermost row of needies Il.

The stocking which is made by the improved circular knitting machine is shown in part and in a greatly enlarged scale in Fig. 4. It comprises a mock ribbed-top 22 with a leg portion 24. The former has a single ply welt, that is, itis of a single thickness The stocking or half-hose is knitted from top to toe starting with the bare needles on one machine. The mock ribbed-to is connected by a transfer 26 to the leg.

The ilrst two courses 2l and 3l are preferably formed of coveredl rubber yarn. Upon the completion o f the second course lthe elastic yarn is clamped and severed, and the knitting continued with plain yarn. The mock ribbed-top 22 is knitted by the two upper rows of needles i! and It. During the knitting of thistop the lower needles 2l are depressed by a special sliding cam I2, so they will poss under the usual stitch cams Il and 3l without being ailected thereby.

The transfer from the top 22 to the leg 24 is eifected by sliding the cam I2 out ofthepath of the butts Il of the needles Il, thereby leaving ali the needles in position for-operation by the stitch and drawdown cams in the usual manner.- The top and bottom center cams 4l and l! operate in the c desired manner, with the cam cylinder or ring u, and the :lack cam In the sequmce of knitting contemplated by this invention the elastic yarn is moved by an adjustable yarn feed Il into the position o! Pig.2wheretheyarnislaidinthehooks ofthe uppermost needl il. The thread is thus caimht by every fourth needle l! of the complete needle bank. Since the needle bank is cylindricai.- the threadllbetweenadiacentneediesofthetoprow or set forms chords to the circle of the complete cylinder of needles. As the intermediate needles I6 are raised under the action of the stitch cams 34-36, these chords of yarn pass behind the intermediate row of needles I6.

Upon completion of the first elastic course 28, the elastic yarn feed 50 drops to the level of the intermediate row I6, so that all the needles in both rows I2 and' I6 may catch the thread. The second elastic course 30 is knit, using every other needle of the entire needle bank. The elasticyarn is then held and severed by the clamping mechanism designated generally by the reference numeral 52; and the inelastic yarn 54- fed to the machine.

The clamping mechanism comprises the clamping head operated by lever arm 56 which in turn is operated by the link 58. This link connects with the upper end 6D of bell crank 62 the latter being operated by a push rod 64 from the cam cylinder 66 associated with the main cam cylinder of the machine. Adjustment can be obtained by the collar and set screw 6B. The yarn feed 50 is adjustably secured at 'l0 in the bell crank '12. The latter is pivoted upon a shaft 14 and retained bythe collar 16. The bell crank is biased by the spring 18 and is moved by the push rod 80 acting on cam 82 carried in the bell crank. The push rod is moved by the cam 84 associated with the main cam drum. The yarn feed is shown in an intermediate full line position in Fig. 2 as well as in' dotted lines for a clear upper point and a lower intermediate position. The bell crank 'l2 and the lever 56 are tied by a spring 86.

The knitting of the mock ribbed-top is continued, by operation of the two upper rows of needles, through the desired number of courses. Then the transfer is effected automatically by removal of the slide 32 from the path of the lowest row. All the needles of the entire needle bank then operate to complete the leg 24 of the stocking. g

The novelty of this invention has to do more particularly withthe use of the two sets of jacks of different lengths to raise alternate needles of the entire needle bank in two sets to different predetermined heights above the remaining needles, while the latter are removed by a-slide cam from operative contact with the stitching cams. This construction renders it possible to knit mechanically on a single machine a complete mock ribbed-top stocking starting with the bare needles being of a predetermined length and the remaining jacks being of a different predetermined length and arranged in alternation with the jacks of the other set, and means for raising said jacks in succession, so that every other alternate needle is raised to a predetermined height to receive a yarn fed to the hooks thereof only on the rst round of knitting and the remaining alternate needles are raised to a different predetermined height to receive the yarn in the hooks thereof on the second round of knitting while casting olf the yarn fed on the first round.

2. The combination of the machine set forth in claim 1 with meansmovable into and out of operable position to by-pass the remaining needles of the needle bank around the stitch cams of the machine.

3. In a circular knitting machine having a. needle bank and stitch cams, two sets of jacks arranged under' alternate needles in said needle bank, the jacks of one set being of a predetermined length and the remaining jacks being of a different predetermined length and arrangedin alternation with the jacks of the other set, means for raising said jacks in succession to position said alternate needles in `two sets at heights determined by said jacks and for operation by said stitch cams, and yarn feeding means movable to two different positions, in one of which it feeds yarn to the highest set of needles only, and in the other of which it feeds yarn to both of said sets of needles.

4. The machine set forth in claim 3 in combination with means for by-passing the remaining needles of the bank around said stitch cams.

RHIEUBIN L. BUNTON. 

